Final Days – Leaving Japan

Leaving Nagasaki was a sombering experience, as it meant that I was getting closer and closer to leaving Japan, a place that I had absolutely fallen in love with. It also meant spending the next 9 hours on shinkansen’s, taking me all the way from Nagasaki back to Tokyo, which considering it would take over 1000kms is an impressive feat. It was still a long time to spend on trains, so with my iPod fully charged I made my way to the station. Watching the world go by, I spent most of my time listening to music, reminicing about my experiences in Japan, and of course, sleeping. I also took the time to set up this shot. A friend from home had given me this little memento as a reminder of home and, I’m guessing, as a mascot for my travels.

After finally getting to Tokyo, I took the familiar route to take me back to the hostel I originally stayed at when I first arrived. In a small way, it was nice to be somewhere familiar again. I was also on the 5th floor again, without a lift.

One thing I had missed doing when Iwas last in Tokyo was getting a chance to see Shinjuku, another district within the city. Although it had no specific sightseeing spots, Shinjuku is still considered one of the best ways to introduce yourself to Tokyo, if only because of the gaudy neon lights and urban chaos, boasting an impressive number of commuters that make the station the busiest in the world. So it would seem I would be doing the introduction backwards this time. I had been told it was best seen at night, which was something I could very easily agree with. The neon lights went up and down buildings trying to sell anything and everything it could, and it seemed to be working. Even though it was during the week and late at night, plenty of locals still filled the shops and arcades. The night was only soured by the smattering of rain that couldn’t decide if it wanted to spit or pour, so I eventually caved in and headed back home.

The next day’s weather wasn’t a large improvement over the previous night, but undeterred from my last few hours to look around Tokyo, I hopped back onto the subway and went north to Ueno Park, which was apparently popularised by some game called Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3. Pfft. The park itself is a large, sprawling area of lush greens, a significant difference from the imposing sea of grey that makes up much of Tokyo. But like the city it lives in, the best parts about it are to be found inside, with the help of a little searching.

One thing I didn’t know about Ueno Park was the street performers who make up the different sections of the grounds, each offering a different form of entertainment depending on the time, day and weather. Apparently the city made potential performers take part in an audition process to choose the best of the best, and of whom were good enough to entertain the many locals and travellers who go through Ueno Park. I happened across a large crowd, and checking to see what the fuss was about, found a large group of Chinese Circus Performers going about their routine. Among the many performances was this, which involved an audience member sitting inside a large pot while a guy sat on top of it and a woman turned the thing around with her feet while sitting backwards. Those crazy Chinese.

After enjoying the performance I headed to Akihabara, best known as the district of the otaku (geek). The street is almost entirely made of music stores, video game amusement centres, discounted electronics, and thousands of malnutritioned nerds soaking it all up. It was the typical image of Japan’s entertainment obsessed culture and is frankly a bit of an eye-sore, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. In some areas you’ll also come across  Japanese teens dressed in maid outfits handing out flyers. Another of the many gimmicks used to both attract nerds and tourists, these maid cafes are nothing more than expensive cafes staffed by generally attractive Japanese women, usually in their late teens. Naturally, I decided to have lunch at one. The difference (if you could call it that) about this one was that it was also a design studio. It also meant that I couldn’t take photos. A young woman inside sat at a computer adding small details to a generally impressive drawing done on a computer, while a projector played a very poor (but so bad it’s almost good) anime video. I had an unimpressive spaghetti and cocoa drink before leaving, but it wasn’t enough to spoil the complete absurdity and amusement of the whole thing.

After I left I had realised it was now time to grab my backpack and head to the train to take me back to Narita Airport. Collecting my things, I sat on the long train ride watching Tokyo slowly disappear into the country-side, taking me one step closer to the end of my holiday in Japan. Sitting in the airport, I experienced a few small revelations that seemed to sum up my travels and time in Japan. Walking about the terminal, I found a wallet that had been accidentally dropped on the floor. Made with some sort of netting, it was easy to see the credit card and 1000 yen notes that were inside, which I promptly handed into an information kiosk. Although I never would have stolen anything from it in the first place, it reminded me that Japan was one of the few places I had been to that was so remarkably safe. Loosing such an item back at home, you would be lucky to even get the wallet itself back, let alone anything inside of it, and while this isn’t meant as a poor reflection of Australian people, it does show a signficantly different mentality from other places in the world.

The second revelation was more general. Poking around a souvenir shop, I saw a few interesting items, and wondered to myself I should bring any of them back home with me, as a memento. I eventually came to the conclusion that while a shirt from Japan would be kind of cool, it would do nothing to add to the memories and experiences I had. Such experiences and memories were priceless and far more valuable to me than trying to have a materialistic item as a reminder of my travels. The only ‘materialistic’ thing I would take with me was photos, and that was enough.

On the plane as it left Narita Airport, I was sad to be going, but happy that I had such an amazing time. From meeting new people to having distictly foreign experiences, Japan was nothing short of brilliant. Safe, beautiful and quirky, I vowed to return for another adventure, now knowing that my original fears of the language barrier and travelling alone were completely unfounded. I’m convinced now that everyone must visit such a inviting, polite, respectful and giving country.

Japan, I will be back!

Nagasaki

I had to take two trains in order to reach Nagasaki, a city situated on the far south-western side of Japan. Another city that will be best remembered for its devestation during WWII, Nagasaki still offered a remarkable history about it, with a great amount of influence from the Dutch and Portuguese who came to trade and settle within the region. Like Hiroshima, Nagasaki was largely connected via an extensive tram system that ran throughout the city. However, unlike Hiroshima, Nagasaki was an industrial port city that had a much busier, and at times, gritter vibe to it. That wasn’t to say the city wasn’t pleasant, clean, or even beautiful at times, but there was certainly a different feel to Nagasaki. Either way, I had three nights to explore the place.

The hostel I was staying at was near a river that ran through the city, which was home to the oldest bridge in Japan. Called Spectacles Bridge, it gets it name because of the reflection it gives when the rivers water level is high.

Jumping onto the tram, I headed off towards the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the nearby Peace Park. It was on August 9, 1945, only 3 days after the bombing of Hiroshima, that the second Atomic Bomb was dropped, this time in Nagasaki.  The bomb, nicked-named Fat Man, was significantly larger than the weapon used at Hiroshima, this time containing enough explosive force equivelant to over 21 kilotons of TNT. At 11:01am the bomb was dropped, killing over 40,000, which some estimates reaching over 70,000. The death toll was less than Hiroshima, if only because of the sloping hills  that make up Nagasaki, which helped to disperse some of the force of the atomic weapon. That’s hardly to say that the city was lucky.

The Peace Park itself has less of the lush, open grounds of the Hiroshima Park, but instead contains far more in the way of artistic creations to make its point. The main attraction is this large statue.

The Peace Statue, standing 10 metres tall, was created by a local sculptor and is a symbol of the atomic bombings and the message of peace. The raised right hand points to the sky and the threat of nulcear warefare, while the outstretched left hand signifies peace. The right leg stays in an almost meditative pose, but the left is ready to stand, poised for action to save the people of the world. Although this photo doesn’t show it very well, even the face looks somewhat meditative, calm, and relaxed, almost in prayer but also deep in thought. It was an impressive sight.

At both Nagasaki and Hiroshima, there were these incredibly bright and attractive decorations that I almost dismissed the first time I saw them. On closer inspection, they actually were a series of folded paper cranes strung together to make long, colourful ribbons. A popular Japanese story is that if one folds a thousand paper cranes, they will be granted a wish by the bird, such as long life or recovery from illness. The crane is also a symbol of peace, so it was unsurprising to see such thoughtfulness in the area.

The story was made even more poignant because of young Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who lived near Hiroshima during the atomic bombings. She survived the attack, but was later diagnosed with leukemia, another sufferer from the long-running after-affects of the atomic weapon. Hearing the story that folding a thousand paper cranes would bring good health, Sadako set about trying to achieve her goal, but sadly only made it to 644 before dying. Her school-friends completed the rest of the cranes and buried them with her. The story was so touching that it later lead to the errecting of a statue in Hiroshima, dedicated to her memory.

Not far from the Peace Park was another area that was the site of the hypocenter of the atomic bomb, an open space dedicated to the actual spot where the bombing occurred.

Besides this memorial, there was also other small artifacts from the bombing, such as the wall of a former Christian Church that partially survived the attacks and the original ground level of the time of the bombing. More affecting was this large statue, depiciting a mother holding her child. It was a beautiful and simple reminder that those who were most affected by the bombing were innocent women and children.

After spending some time reflecting in the Park, I made my way towards the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Sadly, it was another place where photography wasn’t allowed, so all I have are memories of the museum at it’s displays. If there was one overall feeling about the Nagasaki Museum was that it was overwhelmingly more dark and dramatic than the one at Hiroshima. As you enter, the first room is darkly lit, with the occassional flash of light meant to represent the atomic bomb going off. The twisted frame of an old water tower lies in one corner, while a recreation of the destroyed walls of an old cathedral line the back wall. While it wasn’t disturbing or even tense, it was still an pretty dramatic introduction to the rest of the museum.

That said, the rest of the museum was a lot less dark than its introduction, besides containing maps, displays and recreations, the end of floors had some very interesting information about the amount of nuclear tests conducted around the world, and by which countries. It even had a display for those involved in the Madhattan Project and others who helped to drop the atomic bombs, essentially a ‘name-and-shame’. So shame on you (you know who you are). It also had stories from others from around the world who lived near where nuclear tests were made, and the terror and discomfort they often faced. The wall along where these displays were also had extensive information about the steps being taken to stop nuclear weaponry being created, and who were key players in this field.

That night I took the cable-car to one of the summits in Nagasaki, offering amazing views over the city, in particular at night. The cable-car itself is an interesting ride, gliding over the trees and houses that line Mount Inasayama, all while a young woman gives a running commentary about…something. I could only guess it was about the Mountain, the summit, and other things. Once at the top, you walk to a large lookout, and the view is nothing short of breathtaking.

I spent about an hour at the summit, watching the lights of the city slowly overtake the night, while the moon slowly rose over the hills and mountains into view. As my camera is hardly equipped for night photography, these photos really fail to capture the majesty and beauty of the land at night, and is something you truely need to experience for yourself.

The next day I decided to go to Glover Garden, an open-air museum that was formerly the home to many of the Western residents who came to call Nagasaki home. To get there, I ended up taking a very long diagonal elevator that took you towards the top of the garden areas.

The top also gave a nice view of the inner areas of the port.

Although Glover Garden was considered a top tourist attraction, I had only really gone because of that fact. It initially seemed odd to go to Japan and then go sightseeing at the western-influenced houses that made up the site, however I hadn’t fully considered the history of the place. It was interesting to see how Nagasaki became the place where much of western trade and influence came from during the early days of modern Japan, such as Thomas Glover, for who the gardens was named after. A Scottish merchant, Glover married a Japanese woman, had a son, and did much to begin the trade and industrialisation of Nagasaki and Japan, something that few other westerners were able to achieve at the time. I also found out that Kirin, a local beer company, was actually started by some guy from Britain.

The view at the top of the Gardens overlooked Nagasaki port and the many industrial shipyards.

A small pond with the biggest freaking carp you have ever seen.

Plus many tortises, including these fellows who may not be fully aware of the amusement their seating plan.

The amazing home of Thomas Glover and his family.

As you leave the gardens at the bottom of the hill, you come across a hall full of giant floats that must be used during a festival of sorts. Well, that’s what the old movie being played on the projector inside would suggest.

I had finished much of the proper sightseeing activities in Nagasaki, but seeing  it was such a lovely day, I decided to take some time out at the Seaside Park that was along the banks of the port. Open, sparse and quite windy in parts, it was most interesting because of the number of locals flying kites in the area, not to mention the extraordinary number of actual kite birds that were flying around.

In a shady spot under a tree, I laid out on the grass and enjoyed the spring weather. It was also a time to remember that this was my last proper day in Japan before heading back to Tokyo and then on my flight to Hong Kong. I reflected on what the whole trip had been like for me, and it could only be described as overwhelmingly positive. And awesome, mindblowing, breathtaking and beautiful, not to mention… ok, so maybe more than one description.

Hiroshima & Miyajima

There was an air of calm heading towards Hiroshima. I’m not sure if it was because Golden Week was finally over, or that the weather was beautiful, but either way it looked to be a glorious day in the city. Hiroshima isn’t connected via an extensive train or subway system like other cities, but instead uses trams as the main form of transportation for getting around. Hopping on the one that took me closest to my accommodation, I kicked back while the surprisingly modern carriage winded its way through the streets. After checking in at the hostel, I walked to the Peace Park that was only 5 minutes away to see the biggest drawcard to Hiroshima, the A-Dome Site.

Hiroshima will always be remembered after the tragic events that occured during World War II. On August 6, 1945, at 8.15am, the first atomic bomb known as Little Boy was dropped from the Enola Gay. Detonating at 600 metres above the city, the blast was the equivelant of 13 kilotons of TNT, obliterating nearly everything within a 1.6 kilometre radius. 140,000 were killed, and considering the choice of target was because of military reasons, the greatest casulaties were women, children, the elderly, and ironicly enough, Allied POW’s (Prisoners of War).

The bomb detonated almost exactly above the A-Dome, which was formerly known as Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Due to the number of windows that the building had, it was able to withstand some of the blast, and remians standing today and a reminder of the danger and terror that nuclear war can bring. More so, it serves as a testement to peace and that mankind should always strive to make the world safer by peaceful means. Only when all of the nuclear weapons that exist in the world are disarmed will the A-Dome site be demolished. Sadly, I think they will have a long wait ahead of them.

What I wasn’t exactly expecting when walking through the park, towards the A-Dome Site, was to find such an overwhelming sense of peace. The weather certainly helped, but the entire place was both relaxing and calm. Kids playing with glee in the park, couples wandering romanticly through the small paved streets, even the tourists had a quiet respect for the place. Although the A-Dome Site itself was a somber reminder of our history, it was still oddly beautiful and incredibly photogenic.

After spending some time at the A-Dome Site, I walked a little further south to find the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. Or HNPMHABV. Hmmm. Either way, this was by far the most affecting place in the city, as the memorial hall is both quiet and disturbing, not because there is a lot of graphic material, but because of the quiet intensity of the place. Winding your way down a circular corridor, you eventually end up in a large circular room with soft blue lighting and a small bubbling fountain in the middle. Surrounding the wall of the room is 140,000 small tiles that recreate the image of the city after the bombing, a complete 360 view of the city after its destruction.

By coincidence I found myself alone for the most part here, which made the place a little eerie, and very sombre. It was still somehow a nice place to reflect and think about humanity and they way we treat each other, but eventually I decided it was time to move on. Unfortunately the next room wasn’t much of an improvement on the overall feeling of the place. In a large concrete basement, TV screens show a list of those who died during the bombing, while interactive computers allow visitors to search up those victims and read a short biography of each, wherever information was available. I ‘played’ with the database only for a short while before feeling like I was browsing the dead. Upstairs there was another small exhibit of items that were from the bombing, plus a short movie from survivors journals about their experiences right after the bombings and their emotions. It was incredibly affecting, and was a very different look into the aftermath of the event that was far removed from anything I learnt in History during High-School and University. There was also a library that had various computers with even more extensive databases of first-hand accounts of the bombings, survivor stories, and other information. I looked into some of the stories before making my way out.

Back outside I decided to finish off the day at the Hiroshima Peace Museum, which was unsurprisingly a place that everyone had decided they needed to visit. It would be too much to explain everything that was inside the museum (besides a significantly large number of people), but I’ll run through the highlights of the place. Around a small reconstruction of the A-Dome Site was a large number of metal plates the showed a large number of letters. These were the letters that had been sent by the Hiroshima Mayor of the time to the leader of a country that had just conducted nuclear tests. One letter for every nuclear test made around the world. In case you didn’t know, that’s over 1000 nuclear tests and equally as many upset letters over the last 60+ years.

In another section of the museum was a large model display of the city centre before and after the bombings. Even to scale, it was a powerful reminder of the sheer devestation a nuclear weapon possessed.

At the end of a long display of items from the bombings, ranging from childrens clothes to twisted metal beams, was a final message about the war and the bombings. It had been said that after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “for 75 years nothing will grow.” After only a few more years, the cities themselves proved the saying wrong.

The city of Hiroshima has quiet literally risen from the ashes to become a symbol of peace and prosperity in not just Japan, but the world. It was nice the see the slightly uplifting tone of the Hiroshima Peace Museum, reminding everyone that anyone can learn from their mistakes.

Back outside in the Peace Park, I went up to the memorial shrine that gives a direct view of the A-Dome Site, with many people were making prayers to respect those affected by the atomic bombings. While standing there, I noticed a familiar face observing the site as well. Purely by chance, it was Paul, who I had met in Tokyo and later Takayama, with neither of us knowing that we would be in Hiroshima at the same time. We caught up on where we had been and our thoughts about the city before deciding to meet the next day in Miyajima, a nearby island that was a well known tourist site.

Early the next day we made our way to Miyajima, most famous for its ‘floating’ red torii gate that sits out off the shore of the island locale. It’s mainly refered to as ‘floating’ because it appears to be doing so during the high-tide in the early morning and afternoon, as opposed to during the day where the tide goes out and you can actually walk through it yourself. Getting off the train and on to the ferry across to the island, we disembarked and made our way straight to the popular sightseeing spot. Like Nara, there was also a plentiful amount of Deer wandering the island, which we had been warned about. Apparently they like to eat everything, including your rail pass, which is most definately not a good thing. However, we never had any trouble from the animals. The torii gate itself is often refered to as one of the ‘three best views’ in Japan, and is a defining feature of Japanese tourism and travel. It’s not hard to see why.

Walking further around the island, you eventually end up at a temple that sits on top of the shore. A bright red colour just like the torii gate, the temple is more like an open jetty that takes you across the water and out towards the other side.

After checking the map that we had aquired at the ferry terminal, we decided to hike some of the way up the mountain Inarii to see more of the island. For some reason we also thought the almost comical map was also to some sort scale, which we soon found out was a complete lie. The hike upwards was both steep and breathtaking, in all senses of the word. It was so far up that we often found ourselves stopping every 5-10 minutes to catch our breath, but it did offer some fantastic views of the mountain and the beautiful surroundings.

On the way we also passed an amazing little shrine. The circular bars could be rolled by your hand, which I assume was to be done with making a prayer of some sort. I’m sadly still very ignorant of the finer details of buddhism.

On the way up we also saw something I had missed seeing in Kyoto, a wild monkey. Unfortunately the primate was far too quick for me, and by the time I was armed with my camera it had already shot up a small cliff-side that was covered in branches and roots. Either way, it was enough, and I oddly felt a little more complete in life.

After finally making it to the summit, we caught our breath again before taking in the amazing view from the lookout. It was impressive to see just how large a spread out much of the area was, from the number of islands dotting the coast to the small towns that made up the mainland.

By the time we had made it back down the mountain (with the decent much more relaxing that asent), the tide had completely gone out, leaving the torii gate to fend for itself and the throng of tourists wandering around the beach.

Heading back to Hiroshima, we were exhausted from the day’s hiking and wandering around Miyajima, and were more than glad to be on the train, if only to let our feet rest a little more. Paul and I decided to meet up the next day if time allowed to go out for a few drinks, as he was staying at a different hostel, so the rest of my time in Hiroshima was spent relaxing around the park and catching up on emails. I was a great way to wind down after such a busy holiday in Japan, and it gave me some time to reflect on the amazing experiences I had so far.

Ron, who I had met in Osaka, also happened to be staying at the same hostel as I, so we ended up gathering a entourage before heading out. Both that night and the next was spent going to an Irish pub in Hiroshima city with a group of amazing people we had met at the hostel. Sure, it was a little odd to be drinking Guiness in Hiroshima of all places, but it’s those odd experiences that make travelling unique right?

The first night out…

…and the next.

As you can see, there were a few familiar faces in the two party’s, including Michel and Daniel from Switzerland, and Masa, who was working at the reception of the hostel we were staying at. Both nights were a lot of fun and like all travelling, it was great to meet such an awesome group of people.

A quick note for other otaku (geeks) like me. I ended up going to an amusement arcade to kill some time, and found this.

It was Half Life 2 the arcade game. Of all the games to choose, this would have to be one of the more obscure. And you thought playing FPS on a console were awkward enough.

Hiroshima had left a strong impression on me. Peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing, the city was nothing like I was expecting of a place that was so devestated by war only 64 years ago. Instead of finding somewhere that was still hurting from the after-effects and memories, I came to a city that was teeming with a life and vibrancy that was nothing less than positive. It was most certainly a highlight of my trip to Japan, and was somewhere I would have no problem with visiting again.

Osaka, Himeji and Urban Chaos

The shinkansen to Osaka from Kyoto only takes a measly 15 minutes, a testement not only to the speed and efficiency of the Japanese railway system, but also to how short my traveling that day was. I had worried a little bit that there was no point in travelling to Osaka for any length of time seeing it was so close to Kyoto, and I had 4 nights to spend on the city. That, plus the fact that there didn’t seem to be the greatest range of activities to do there was also somewhat offputting, but by the time these thoughts had come to mind I had already booked my accomodation.

First impressions of Osaka are not fantastic. I was presented with a concrete jungle that seemingly stretched out for miles either way, with imposing buildings, bustling streets and a multitude of shopping centres and clothing stores. Understandable, really, when you consider that the city was bombed nearly entirely flat during WWII and had to reconstruct nearly everything. While it lacked the cosmopolitan flavour and character of Tokyo or even Kyoto, Osaka still oozed a certain charm about it that was almost appealing, except for the issue that it was the peak of the Japanese holidays.

The infamous Golden Week is an exciting prospect for Japanese citizens, as it means four public holidays within a week timeframe, perfect for taking some time off and travelling nationally. For international travellers however, Golden Week represents a backpackers worst nightmare; scarce accommodation if not pre-booked well ahead of time, sightseeing locations absolutely flooded with tourists, and cities seemingly more busy than usual, creating havoc for walking around. Osaka was well and truely another victim of the holidays, as my time there was the absolute definition of Urban Chaos.

Arriving just to late to make the morning check-in to the hostel I was staying at, I dumped my bags in the storage locker and headed out to the famed Osaka Aquarium. It’s pretty easy to forget that Osaka is in fact a port city, as much of the activity is located in the centre and away from the sea. However, one area of the port is a hive of activity, even when Golden Week is not in full swing.

A huge ferris wheel, the Suntory IMAX Theatre, along with a range of other interesting sights, shops and arcades line this area of the port, including, of course, the Osaka Aquarium.

As you enter and pay for your ticket, you eventually take a very long and very high esculator ride to the top of the Aquarium, before working your way down past the various marine life.

I’m pretty sure, however, that a sloth is not a marine animal.

The highlight and major drawing card of the Aquarium is the massive tank in the centre of the building that is home to, among other creatures, a whale shark. Admittedly, it’s a relatively small one, at least in comparison to the ones found of the West Australian coast, but it’s still an impressive sight.

It was also at the Aquarium that I found not only unique marine life, but also all of the primary school aged children in Japan. The entire Aquarium grounds were full to the brim with kids and their parents, all of whom darted around to each attraction with a reckless abandon only found in hyperactive kids with the attention spans of a gnat and the politeness of seagulls feasting on the viewing of sealife. It was one of the more frustrating events of my time in Japan, and came extremely close to spoiling the generally interesting displays in the Aquarium.

Returning to the hostel, I met Ron and Keli, Canada natives and friends who were travelling around Japan. Along with a few other people we had met, we headed out to central Osaka to see what the nightlife was like. What we found was a neon wonderland that was like something out of Blade Runner, albeit cleaner. After a long night of clubbing, we eventually found our way home.

The next day I took some time out to attempt to catch up with myself and to generally relax a little. Well, I tried to at least. Walking around Osaka was still an effort as the city was still heaving due to the holidays. I spent most of my time going through some shopping arcades, trying to no avail to get some new shoes, and topping it off with a couple of hours in a multi-storied amusement parlour, mostly playing Street Fighter 4. Fellow geeks would understand. Some shopping arcades certainly had some unique decor.

On Monday, I decided to brave the continuation of Golden Week to go Himeji, a small city most famous for Himeji Castle, argueably the most spectacular and impressive Castle in the whole of Japan. Built during the 14th Century, it was home to many Shoguns and Lords and expanded many times, surviving fire, earthquakes and bombings that littered Japanese History. It’s often regarded as a must-see experience of Japan, so like most other tourists, I decided that I must visit.

Apparently, about 1000 other tourists, both national and international, had thought the exact same thing. A long line snaked around the park outside the castle simply to enter the grounds, taking about 30 minutes to get inside.

Once inside the walls it was deceivingly quiet, which was all a farce, as after walking through the many defensive walls, you were confronted with the not so pleasant sight of a ridiculously long line of people waiting to enter the castle itself. Thank God for iPods, as the wait to well over an hour, in which I came very close to giving up and leaving after a extended period of time with no movement. Thankfully the line began to move, and before I knew it, I was shuffling my way inside.

The problem was that once you were able to make it inside, there were an number of displays and signage pointing out the various unique characters of the castle. However, as there was an indefinately long line of people who were all eager to scale the stairs to get higher, you never had a chance to fully appreciate the displays, containing everything from ancient Shogun scriptures to paintings and memorabilia from long ago. Standing for any longer than a second held up the line, and moving out of it gaurenteed you would not get back in anytime soon. Sadly, I shuffled my way along with the rest of the crowd to the top of the castle, feeling cheated that I had, unusually enough, more patience than the other tourists.

The top of Himeji Castle is fantastic for seeing over the city, but again the endless amount of tourists completely spoiled the proceedings.

Interestingly enough, there was a small temple at the top for people to pray at, providing they could fine the time and space to do so. I like this photo, as it pretty much summed up the day in Himeji; finding some remnant of peace and calm within the chaos.

Decending the very steep stairs back outside, I found the grounds within the walls of Himeji Castle to be much more interesting and slightly more relaxing in comparison to the insanity inside. It was also a great oppertunity to take some photos of the Castle itself, and was one of the few proper chances I had to revel in the beauty and size of the impressive building. Sometimes nicknamed The White Herron, it’s understandable as to why it gained such a name.

After a long time (mostly queing) at the castle, I desperately made my way back to Osaka to unwind.

My final day in Osaka was again largely spent catching up with myself and trying not to get crushed by the city and the people that either lived there or were visiting. On this last slightly rainy day, I ended up going to the amusingly named (and themed) Amerika-mura town. A district of Osaka, the entire area is themed like the favourite infamous well-known consumer-capitalist nation.

Take note of the copy of the Statue of Liberty that sits on top of one of the districts buildings.

The area, with its varied fashion stores, uniquely dressed locals and ubran-cool feel, was interesting, but also somewhat tacky and entirely fake. While I’m sure it’s heaven to those who live in Japan and have no true concept of what American culture is, it seems entirely tasteless and tryhard. It was also beyond me as to why a nation with such an amazing history and culture would want to be anything like anywhere else in the world, but I guess that’s a testemant to the broad reach of American culture and influence.

That night Keli and I went out to the Umeda Sky Building, an imposing structure which towers of the city. Although not the tallest building in Japan or even Osaka, it stands out because it consists of two 40-storied buildings connected at their top by a glass escalator and observatory. Apparently it has amazing views at night, where tourists can go up the almost transparent escalator to the top for stunning views over the city. Of course, I certainly did not go up.

On the  day I was to leave Osaka, I was a little disappointed, as in spite of the Urban Chaos and insanity that had been the city during Golden Week, I had enjoyed myself. Osaka may not be overflowing with sightseeing attractions like other cities in Japan, but I had met some great people and indulged in the city and its chaotic atmosphere. I may have not had the time to catch up with myself and relax, but it was still a nice way to experience the city. And unlike some others I had met, at least I had set acommodation during my stay. Regardless, I was relieved that Golden Week was over, and was ready to move on to my next destination.

Kyoto – Part II

With only two days remaining in Kyoto, I felt as if I was in a rush to experience all the city had to offer, which is especially difficult considering how spread out the city is. In spite of that, I wasn’t going to let it become an excuse to procrastinate, so I headed off. For my second last day I thought it would be a good idea to head West towards Arashiyama and visit some popular sights along the way. First stop was Nijo Castle, an old fortified castle that was used by the Tokugawa Shoguns are a place of residence in Kyoto.

The castle itself isn’t exactly what you would expect considering the fact it’s suppose to be a castle. As it’s on flat ground and was more used as a residential place (Kyoto Castle is located more centrally in the city), it was somewhat less impressive than one would expect, but only because of the connotations associated with, well, a castle. Walking around inside (which again disallowed photography), the rooms were essentially large and empty spaces that were occassionally occupied by lifesized figurines illustrating the purpose of the castle. Most of the building was also made up of nightingale floors, filling the hallways with the squeaking and creaking of the tourists passing through. Some interesting sights included the hidden rooms which bodyguards would hide in, waiting patiently in case of an assassination attempt on the Shogun. There was also plenty of sizeable racks that were used to hold spears and other weaponary.

Outside, the grounds were not entirely impressive, if only because of their entirely sparse and bare nature. Out the back was a large garden that was designed by a famous landscape and tea ceremony master (whose name I cannot remember for the life of me), that while was impressive, seemed a little disjointed from the rest of the grounds, if only because it was quiet lush in comparision to its surroundings.

After that I decided it would be best to go somewhere really lush. Heading out far West leads to Arashiyama, a mountainous and less populated area of Kyoto that is a popular place to go hiking and observe nature. Also, the mountains are home to wild monkeys and just a little bit south, an actual Monkey Park. Although I was convinced I would see some actual wild monkeys (which I didn’t) and avoided the park, the area itself was still a must see.

Arashiyama is also home to the famous bamboo forest, which towers over tourists who make the trek through the area.

Some areas of the forest are so thick that it’s almost impossible to see through the canopy of bamboo to the sky above, which was fun when trying to take photos and having your auto-flash going off all the time because it detected a lack of light.

The strech of bamboo forest goes for quiet a while, which made for a pleasant walk as the large path/road makes it was through. By the time you reach the end, however, you are treated not only to a wonderfully open park, but a surprisingly amazing view of the river that runs through the district.

The river, combined with the mountins which it snaked through, was a beautiful sight to behold, and was rather suprising to find so close to such a large city as Kyoto. Canoes, the odd paddleboat and gondola floated around the waters, while people of all ages sat by the riverside to absorb the sun the life that place gave off. It was nice to find another place that was so peaceful in comparison to the surroundings only a few minutes away. There was also many walkways and paths leading up the mountains, which I decided to hike through to get a better view of the region.

It was entirely worth it.

I spend a good few hours relaxing around Arashiyama, feeling lucky to have had the time to visit such a nice and relatively peaceful area. The only thing that could’ve topped it off was seeing some wild monkeys…which I didn’t. Still, it wasn’t enough to bring down my mood.

That was until I decided to leave and find Kinkaku-ji, the famed Golden Pavillion. Build as a retirement home for one of the Shoguns during the 14th Century, it was later turned into a Buddhist temple by his son after the Shoguns passing. Covered entirely with gold leaf (incredibly thin gold), it was one of the most famous sights in Kyoto. The actual temple itself was more recently built, as during the 50’s it was completely burnt to the ground by a young monk who had an entirely unhealthy obession with the structure. It was rebuilt during the same decade.

The problem was that there was no nearby train to the temple, and as I didn’t have a bus directory with me, I had no way to find out how to get there. Instead I took the nearest train and decided to walk the rest of the way. So after about half an hour of walking through the streets of North-West Kyoto, I finally got to the golden pavillion. With about 500 school-children and tourists. I only wish I was exaggerating. Still, I wasn’t going to let them blow a good photo oppertunity.

The Golden Pavillion was still stunning to see, even if the hundreds of screaming children began to grate on my nerves. After following the walking path through the grounds, I desperately escaped the grounds and the army of little terrors to get back home. Finding the bus, I gladly went back to the hostel to let my feet recover.

After dinner I was feeling entirely exhausted, but I then remembered that my friends Alex and Brice had planned to go out that night as it was the last proper night they were going to have to do anything before heading back to France. Knowing Emil and Rasmus would be up for it, we all met up at the bar downstairs. Before going down for a few drinks, I met a fellow traveller named Nicola in the lounge area of the hostel. Knowing the more the merrier, I asked her if she’d like to join us, and before I knew it the party had gained an extra friend.

Now for a quick side story. As we were all stocking up on the cheap drinks, I noticed that Rasmus was drinking a bottle of Smirnoff Ice. Commenting that it was a girls drink, he joked that it was because he was actually a girl with pigtails whose name was Sally. Bad move, as this became his nickname for the rest of the time spend in Kyoto, and concequently all discussion via email and Facebook. That god he has a sense of humour.

After a number of drinks we headed off on the train to an area that was suppose to be an interesting nightspot. Of course we got hopelessly lost before a friendly local was able to steer us in the right direction. Although the bar, Sam & Dave’s, was relatively empty, we still made the most of our night, which resulted in talking, or trying to talk, to some locals, a few games of pool, and a few too many drinks.

Any of my friends I’m sure will be able to read between the lines when I say ‘a few too many drinks’. Feeling decidedly sorry for myself, Alex Brice and I took a cab back to our hostel, while Emil and Nicola stayed on. Rasmus had disappeared, however in the short time we had gotten to know him, we knew he’d be fine. Getting home decided late, we all crashed into bed.

The next day was an unpleasant surprise, as I woke up much earlier than expected and was now feeling very sorry for myself. After going to the lounge to sit down and recount the amount of drinks I had, I saw Rasmus alseep on the couch, still in the same clothes as last night. Well, at least I wasn’t the only one right? The rest of the morning was spent having a slow breakfast, touching base with the rest of our party, and remembering how great last night was, and how horrible the morning was in comparison. Such is the way of hangovers. However I was refusing to let the whole thing take complete control, and not wanting to waste my last day in Kyoto, made my way out of the hostel to go to Fushimi Inari-taisha (after about 3 strong coffees). Best known for its massive rows of red tori gates, the temple sits at the bottom of the Inari mountain, and is a must-see part of Kyoto.

The temple grounds itself have multiple statues of Foxes, which are said to be the animal gods of michief, and are also able to inhabit the body of humans by entering through a persons fingernails. Michevious and nasty.

After a short walk upwards, I reached the unmissable sight of the red tori gates. Stretching on almost endlessly up the mountain, it was a sight to behold that was unlike anything I have ever had the oppertunity to see. Going through the mountain, it was a peaceful walk that was only broken by the odd croaking of frogs that were hiding in some of the small streams.

One thing I was not entirely prepared for was  the length of the hiking trail up the mountain. Often it was a rather steep climb to reach the odd shop that stood on a leveled out area, most of which thankfully sold bottled water. Halfway up I reached a large pond that also housed a large shrine dedicated to the Fox God.

Just on the other side of the shrine was some areas that were actually a little discomforting, as there were multiple shrines dedicated to the deceased. Packed in close together, it was a little clostrophobic being so close to the multitude of shrines.

As the day went on and the hike kept going, I finally reached the summit, which had an even larger shrine dedicated to the Fox God, but with the tall trees surrounding, offered no real view of the surrounding area, which was certainly a shame. Regardless, I was glad I took the time to do the hike, even if my body was still in recovery mode from the previous night.

Back at the hostel, our party met up again in the bar, with most of us feeling marginally better than the morning. It was a somber feeling, as with Alex and Brice leaving for home the next day and with myself leaving, it was sad to see everyone going their seperate ways again. The mood was lifted a little after an amusing attempt by everyone to show where we lived in our respective countries. What resulted was some… interesting interpreations of what Australia, France and Denmark looked like as countries andW where exactly they were in the world. The conclusion was that France actaully cutted into the northern part of Westrern Australia. Rearranging the world, that’s what we do. With drinks in hand, we had only a few (and this time I mean it) before saying our goodbyes and calling it a night.

The next day was a sad feeling to know I was leaving Kyoto, having had such an amazing time there and meeting such fantastic people. But at the same time, I was ready to move on to the next adventure, Osaka.

Kyoto – Part I

The next 3 days were a whirlwind tour to Kyoto and the numerous sightseeing oppertunities it had. It was also the beginning of a lot of walking, as Kyoto is largely spread out and not as conveiniently connected as Tokyo. In hindsight it would have been a lot smarter to hire a bike for a few days to get around, but what can I say, I dont think that far ahead. Or behind?

For my first proper day in Kyoto, I decided to take a hiking course recommended by the travellers bible, Lonely Planet. Winding through Southern Higashiyama, the start of the course was not far from the hostel, making at least the beginning of the day easy. On the way, I stopped in at Sanjusangen-do, a temple that houses an enormous collection of statues depicting Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, which was a shame, because its difficult to explain the temple without a visual aid. 1001 human-sized gold coloured statues of Kannon are organised into 4 (or is it 5?) rows aligning the length of the main long and narrow hall. All of the statues are also staggered, so they can all be seen when viewed straight on. Each statue, while very similar, is not identical, making it a slightly eerie sight.

At the front of the rows are various original statues depicting different gods or demi-gods within the buddhist religion. At the very center of all of the statues is a much larger statue of Kannon, which many Japanese tourists made a prayer to. Reading about each god as well as Kannon was very interesting, and gave a brief insight into the complexities of the Buddhist religion.

Afterwards I made my way to the start of the hiking course, which made its way up a reasonably steep hill that as far as I was concerned, was entirely not pleasant. I guess I needed the exercise.

Once reaching the top of the hill, I was met by a long, steep flight of stairs leading up to a temple. Great. At least I knew I was at the right place thanks to this giant pagoda towering over the locals making their way up

Despite my grumblings, it was entirely worth the effort, as it was the site of Kiyomizu-dera, an ancient temple that is one of the most famous landmarks of Kyoto, with some amazing views over the city. Sitting above the trees, it was a beautiful sight, even with all the tourists.

As the path around the side of the temple grounds made its way downwards, it eventually got to a small shrine viewable from above. Supposedly, the water fountain itself was blessed with mystical properties that could help ordinary humans seek enlightenment. Even so, enlightenment was not worth the lengthy ques formed in order to bathe ones hands in the fountain, so I took a miss.

After exiting the temple grounds through the army of tourists, I eventually found myself hitting up the path again, as I made my way through the nearby markets.

Although practically new looking, there was definately something very old and feudal about the streets, which were amazing to walk through. As usual, however, the tourists were determined to spoil the mood by most giving a shouting commentary of the things they saw and how much it differed from their country of origin, less with facination and more with bewilderment as to why it wasn’t more like their home. You sometimes have to wonder why people bother going on overseas holidays.

After the squabble of tourists, the area eventually opened up into a lovely park, with plenty of room to find your own space.

Unusually, there was a street performer sitting under one of the larger cherry trees singing to his hearts content, with a throng of avid listeners. This wouldn’t be so strange if it wasn’t for the fact that it was an elderly caucasian man who looked more like Willie Nelson’s twin brother who had a voice more akin to Johnny Cash. Armed with his guitar, he went back and forth between country classics and old folk songs. It shouldn’t have been as fitting to the surroundings as it was.

I made a short side trip to nearby Gion, best known as the quarters of Geisha who called the district home. Geisha, who are easily recognisable with their white face makeup, immaculate clothing and traditional hairstyles, are becoming fewer in number as time goes on, however they remain a facinating look at traditional Japan, even if that is slowly becoming less predominant. While I saw a few Geisha here and there during my walk, I resisted taking any photos, mostly because there was something oddly intimidating about them.

The district in Gion itself is also quiet beautiful at times, such as the amazing streets like these that were scattered around the area. Almost impossibly beautiful, they served as a small reminder of a time long ago now fusing with today.

I was now nearing the end of the walking trail, however, just before finding the subway back to Kyoto station, I stopped in at Chion-in (not sure if this is right, so don’t hold me to it!), an old temple with lots of interesting sights to see. Being a working Buddhist temple, I arrived during prayer time, where both monks and tourists who followed the religion were able to make their prayers. Those who were not part of the religion were still allowed to sit by the entrance inside and watch the proceedings, which were a spiritual experience. With photography disallowed and most tourists being quiet and respectful, it was both a very calm and peaceful time where I took the chance to mediatate and reflect, something I had rarely had the chance to do at all since arriving in Japan.

Afterwards I went to walk around the other grounds of the temple, which included a painting of a fox which watched people no matter what angle it was viewed from, plus a nightingale floor, a floor designed to squeak and ’sing’ when walked across, thereby thwarting any assassins. Unfortunately, the largest part of the connecting temple was currently under construction, meaning all that could be heard was the sound of construction equipment. Disappointed, I left and made my way back to the subway to return to the hostel.

That night I went out for dinner at Kyoto Station and went to an Okonomiyaki Restaurant. A traditional savoury pancake made in Japan, Okonomiyaki has become, unofficially, my favourite Japanese food, if not ever. Made with cabbage, a savoury batter, egg, and in some cases noodles, the whole thing is then mixed and cooked together (at least in Kyoto, Hiroshima does their Okonomiyaki differently) before having layers of toppings put on that often included a barbeque-like sauce. This particular creation had fermented beans, cheese and thanks to the helpful waitress no bacon. Each table had a small hotplate in the centre where the dish was left to sit on, keeping it warm.

As the sun went down over Kyoto, I went up to the hostels rooftop to watch the view. In spite of the largely concrete surroundings, the sight was still beautiful, and a nice way to end the day of my first real look at the city and what it had to offer.

Blast that damned billboard. Oh well, the view from the emergency exit on my hostel rooms floor was also awesome.

However, it looked as if this wasnt exactly going to be the end to my day. Besides the clean and cosy rooms, massive common room, good location and helpful staff, the great thing about the hostel, K’s House Kyoto, was that there was a bar/cafe adjoined. Just walk through the door at the entrance to the hostel and you’re in the bar. Plus, all the drinks were only 390 yen (about $6 Australian). I ended up spending every night in there with at least 1 (ok maybe 2) drinks to round off the night. It was there I also made some friends who ended up being my drinking buddies for every night. Emil and Rasmus (aka Sally, more on that in a later post) from Denmark, and Brice and Alex from France, plus me, became a little Entourage that would often chill out together in the bar.

Tonight there was an interesting drawcard in a little concert featuring a Japanese pianist and a singer. They mostly played, unusually enough, old french songs that the amazing singer performed in both Japanese and French, and on occassion, English.

Either way, it was a great little bit of free entertainment that nicely rounded off the night. It was a good thing too, as it put me in a good mood for the insanity that was going to be the rest of my time in Kyoto (Alex, Brice, Emil and Rasmus know what I’m talking about).

Arrival in Kyoto & Nara

When I woke up in Kanazawa, the day of my leaving to Kyoto, I could only hear the hustle and bustle of the street outside and people going around their daily lives. Opening my rooms window, I saw only blue sky with a few clouds scattered around. Otherwise, sunshine was coating the world outside.

The start to the day was on a positive note.

Arriving in Kyoto, I was too early to check into the hostel I was staying at, so instead I went for a walk around the city. Kyoto is very spread out, with many of the sight-seeing destinations requiring either a long walk, a bus, or multiple subway transfers in order to get to anywhere of interest. It was certianly less efficient than Tokyo, but the city had its own unique charm that set itself apart. With my feet sore from so much walking, I found a great place to stop and rest for otaku (geeks) like me.

The Kyoto International Manga Museum has only been open since November 2006 and has unsurprisingly become a popular spot for manga fans to hang out. Built in a former primary school, the museum is home to an impressive 300,000 manga, both old and new, and has an extensive archive of classic publications housed in the basement level. Broken up into different sections for boys, girls and children, the museum also acted as a giant library for manga fans to sift through and read at their own lesiure. It was also interesting to see the small display of the history of manga, with ancient scrolls of old art and stories, right up to more recognisable creations from the 40s and beyond. Because all of the subjects in the museum were publications, it also meant that everything was under copyright protection, so photos were a complete no-go. While completely understandable, I was a little disappointed that I couldnt capture some of the scrolls and the older manga in their original glory.

There was also an exhibit on one of the legends of Manga, Sugiura Shigeru, an artist, musician, novelist and photographer that was very popular during the 30s through to the 50s. Looking at his creations, there was something unmistakably manga about them, not to mention incredibly odd. Big-eyed characters that were brightly coloured interacted with stranger creatures that were difficult to describe. Best to Google Sugiura yourself to find out (read = lazy). Afterwards, I had a look through the small English collection of manga available and sat down for a while reading. Not quite knowing what was quality manga or not, I had a few hits and misses before settling on Lupin, a weird mish-mash of James Bond spy action, slapstick, sexual encounters and murder mystery. Supposedly a classic in manga, I imagine hardcore fans would be having fits of rage if they read this rather poor explaination.

Later I returned to my hostel, checked in, then took some time to chill out in the large and cozy lounge area on the second floor.

There I met up with Dawn, who had been teaching in Nagasaki and was now travelling around Japan. She was meeting up with someone else she had met, Jeany, to go out to dinner later. She was kind enough to invite me along, so later that night we went back to Kyoto station to find something to eat. The station itself is a shopping and restaurant mecca, a giant glass structure seemingly at odds with much of the more traditional architecture around the city. Regardless, it was an interesting sight and a fitting place to find somewhere to eat. On the way back we had a look at Kyoto Tower, an unmissable sight from the station, just across the road and, for lack of a better term, towering over the city below.

That night we all agreed to meet up tomorrow to go to Nara, the home of Daibutsu, Japans largest buddha statue.

The next day we headed back to Kyoto Station to get the local train to Nara. The ride itself took a lesiurely hour, which was thankfully not packed out in spite of the start to the Japanese holidays being only a day away. Known as Golden Week, the holidays started on April 29th with Showa Day, the celebration of the former Emperors birthday, followed by May 3rd with Constitution Day, celebrating the creation of the post-WWII Constitution, May 4th with Greenery Day, dedicated to nature, and finally May 5th with Childrens Day, this time celerbrating Boys (Girls were celebrated on March 3rd).  It meant that many Japanese people would be travelling nationally, so getting around and booking accomodation would be a chore. Thankfully I had already planned out the latter, however I would have to see how the former would go.

Arriving in Nara, we made our way towards the Nara-koen area, the large park which is home to Daibutsu, along with about 1,200 deer. Extremely tame and largely well looked after, they were a constant source of amusement, wonder, and surprisingly, fear. I saw one middle-aged Japanese woman throw a biscuit to a deer that was following her while she literally ran away in fright. Considering how friendly and hungry the animals were, it was difficult to see how they were in any way a threat.

Towards the temple housing Daibutsu, we passed through the large gate, Nadai-mon.

The gates also contained the giant wood-carved statues called the Nio Guardians, with one either side of the gate. Originating from the 13th century (but recently restored), they were quite dramatic, not to mention incredibly imposing and downright scary.

In spite of their size, both guardians were extremely detailed, an impressive feat considering that they were made from wood. It was odd, because I found them so detailed it was almost as if they could come to life at any given moment, which was, to say the least, disturbing.

After a short walk further and we found ourselves outside the gates of the temple, which in itself was quite sizeable. The gates surround the entire grounds, and looking either way, they seemed to go on for a very long distance.

It made sense, because walking around to the entrance at the size gave sight to an even greater structure, the Daibutsu-den Hall itself.

This picture does nothing to show the size of this enormous structure, and was the sort of experience that a photo cannot reproduce or recreate. The hall is simply breathtaking, and is officially the largest wooden structure in the world, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rebuilt in 1709, the most unbelivable fact is that this building is only 2/3 the size of the original.

As you walk closer to the hall, you start to realise how far away you were when you entered, as the structure only gets larger and larger as you come closer. Inside is Daibutsu, one of the worlds largest bronze statues, 16 metres high and weighing in at about 437 tonnes. Definately the heavyweight champion of Japan.

Around the sides and back of the temple behind Daibutsu are a series of other interesting statutes and a model example of the former grounds of the temple.

As you can see, the grounds use to be much larger, and were even flanked by even larger pagodas on either side. Seeing the hall itself was the only way I could even comprehend the scale of the building, so trying to imagine what the additional pagodas would have looked like in terms of size was near impossible for me.

One of the more curious sights within the hall was one of the wooden columns that held up the structure. It was virtually no different from any of the others, save for the small hole at its base. The exact same size of one of the nostril holes of Daibutsu, its believed that if you can squeeze through, you will be ensured of enlightenment. Im not an entirely supersticious person myself… so it was only natural that I would have a crack at it.

Success! Apparently the quick way to enlightenment can only be achieved if you are not overweight, or at least somewhat thin.

Exiting the hall and walking back towards the gates to leave, I couldnt help but take one last look. It was surely one of the most impressive and unforgettable sights of my holiday in Japan. Theres nothing like it in the world and in spite of the tourists crowding Nara, it had a certain calmness about it that couldnt be taken away. It is without a doubt a must-see experience when visiting Japan.

After some more exploring of Nara, we eventually got back to the station and made our way home. Utterly exhausted, I took some time to relax before eventually going to bed. It was a fantastic day, but a thought came to mind. I hadnt even seen any of Kyoto and its attractions yet. The next few days were going to be busy.

Kanazawa

After an enjoyable two nights in Takayama, I prepared to set off on my next adventure to Kanazawa. The moderately sized city is most famous for having one of the most beautiful and popular gardens in Japan, Kenroku-en, and is considered one of the top three in the country. Kanazawa was also blessed with some other interesting attactions, such as a former Samurai district and the 21st Century Museum of Contempory Art, making it a great place to stay for my two days of travel.

However my anticipation for the day was quickly soured by the weather. Waking up in Takayama, I could hear the rain outside and felt my heart sink ever so slightly. It was  nearly completely grey and soaking outside. Although the rain itself wasnt heavy,  it was still enough to create problems for my travelling, even when I was armed with a rainjacket and umbrella. Clearly I had been spoilt by the mostly excellent weather so far.

The shinkansen ride itself was still pleasant enough, as the train itself was of course warm and comfortable. I watched the world pass by outside, the weather still in tatters, as the rain whipped by the train. The sky may had been grey, but the contrast with the greenery of the trees made them seem even more vivid.

Arriving in Kanazawa, I dumped my luggage and went for a walk around the city, hood and umbrella up, while trying to explore without getting all soggy and wet. It didnt work. Regardless, I soldiered on and found the former Samurai district, named Nagamachi. The Nagamachi District is very well preserved, if only because it is still used as a residential area. As a result, the wonder of the district was slightly lost as cars went up and down some streets while residents went about their daily lives. In spite of the modernisation, Nagamachi`s winding streets, tile-roofed mud walls and distinct architecture had a unique character to it that was still facinating to see.

I ducked inside a building to get out of the rain, being the Nomura Samurai House, the former home of a Samurai from centuries ago. Considering the houses around it, the home was fairly sizeable, with large tatami mat rooms and a gorgeous garden outside.

The entrance was also adorned by the armour of the former warrior and owner of the property. Like many, I was amazed by the detail, but couldnt help but think `how small were these guys?`

The Samurai were argueably the greatest swordsmen of their time, so in this case, size certianly did not matter.

Walking back towards the ryokan I was staying at, I decided to take a shower and have a rest before finding some dinner. The weather had not improved an ounce since my arrival in the city, and I thought that getting out of the rain would be the best thing for now. Maybe it would clear up later?

Apparently not. Borrowing an umbrella from the ryokan, I went out to find some food. The place I was staying was less than a minute away from the central area of Kanazawas busy Katamachi District, home to many shops, bars, restaurants and other entertainment centers, with the central four-way intersection and crossroads known as the Katamachi Scramble. While the district was still heaving due to the usual weekend madness, the rain was also not letting up at all. Walking down one of the side-streets, I ended up going to an amazing Indian Restaurant called the Spice Box. Calling the meal anything less  than stellar would be an insult, and it was definately the best Indian food I had ever eaten to date. Amazing considering I was in Japan after all.

After stopping briefly at my accommodation again to find something warmer to wear, I bumped into some fellow travellers who were about to head out to eat. From Turin, Italy, they were nice enough to ask me to join them, even though I had already had dinner. After walking around for a while we finally ended up at a very busy restaurant, where we were somehow able to talk through the noise and smoke. They gave me a great education about dining in Italy, including what wines to have with each meal and the size of the portions that they were use to compared to Japan. It made me realise how in Australia, in spite of having some amazing food, we certianly dont quite have the same culture of dining as other countries.

After returning home for a decent nights sleep, I awoke the next day to a familiar sound. Rain. Great. Opening the window of my room, I was also frustrated to find that the weather had in fact gotten worse, with a heavy downpour, nearly horizontal winds and a bitter chill to the air. Regardless, I wasnt going to let it stop me, as I naively thought again that the weather might level out by the end of the day.

I was wrong. Again. I tried to make my way to Kenroku-en but the weather had other ideas, so I ducked into the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. Unfortunately there was no exhibit on at the time, save for a few curious looking pieces of art such as this.

Odd to say the least, but still interesting.

At the museum I also ran into David, Zineb and their young son, who I had met at the train station the previous day. They were also trying to explore Kanazawa, but like myself were also being thwarted by the weather. After walking around the museum for a while, we decided to brave the weather regardless and go to see Kenroku-en. The rain and wind had eased off slightly, so now was as good a time as ever to try to get there.

The name Kenroku-en refers to the six attributes required for perfection, being seclusion, spaciousness, antiquity, artificiality, abundant water and broad views. On our arrival, I would have to say that they got everything except the seclusion part done, mainly because dispite of the weather there was still a plentiful amount of tourists.

The garden was still amazing and incredibly photogenic, making it a wonderful place to attempt some sort of skill in photography, even though I have a point-and-shoot rather than an SLR. There was also a constant running back and forth within cover as the weather constantly shifted from very cold to windy, raining and cold.

Afterwards we made our way back towards the city centre before parting ways. Trudging through the rain, my shoes and jeans absolutely drenched, I was glad to get back to the ryokan to try to dry out my clothes. Cranking my rooms air-conditioner to turn it into a dryer, I took a bath before returning to my room. In the ryokans common room, I ran into Tom, who I had met in Takayama, and we decided to meet up later for dinner. Going to a simple Japanese noodle chain, we later had a few glasses of wine at a moody but classy wine bar, before calling it later into the night, the rain still coming down outside. Thankfully it seemed to finally be easing up, giving me some hope for the next few days.  I went to bed hoping that things would improve the next day for my next destination, Kyoto.

Takayama

After a fairly disappointing time in Nagoya, I looked forward to getting to my next destination, Takayama. Best known for it’s beautiful surroundings with some beautifully preserved marchant houses, Takayama also had a significantly smaller population compared to my previous destinations, sitting at nearly 96,000. Considering that Tokyo dwarfs it with roughly more than 12 million people and Nagoya with 2.2 million, I was actually looking forward to a nice change of pace in a much quieter town.

The shinkansen ride to Takayama from Nagoya itself was both beautiful and relaxing. Winding its way through mountains and hillsides, the train passed many gorgeous rivers, small houses, and other amazing sights. The few hours it took to get to my destination turned out to be a welcome beginning to the day.

After walking from the station to my accommodation, the Rickshaw Inn, I grabbed my bag and made my way to the first sightseeing destination of the town. Named Takayama-Jinya, it is the only remaining office building of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was still used as an office building up to 1969, but was later replaced by more modern structures. The building and its grounds, however, were kept preserved.

Taking off your shoes before you enter, you first see the incredibly detailed blue spiral paper that adorns the walls of the entrance of the building.

Much of the buildings more interesting displays included very old official papers and documents, however because of copyright laws pictures were not allowed. It seemed kind of odd considering how the  documents and artifacts were deteriorating, but I wasnt about to break the law over something like that. Of the more interesting displays that you could photograph was the former torture chamber used to get information out of suspected criminals.

If you couldnt quite figure out what the implements exact purpose was, the picture to the left on the wall pretty much explained everything.

Nasty.

After leaving, I crossed the distinguishable red bridge towards the old perserved merchant houses that Takayama was famous for. Dark and black lacquered, the old houses, while looking very new, and a feel and design to them that was very classical. The three streets containing the old merchant houses were fairly small and were mostly full of local and international tourists and shoppers. 

Lined with restaurants and little shops, the stores that were in their largest numbers was the sake breweries. Sake is a popular term for the Japanese rice wine that is produced across the country, although the actual word sake is really the general term for alcohol in Japanese. Slightly more potent that regular wine made with grapes, sake tastes quite strong, with less of the overall body and presense. Still, the samples I was lucky enough to try were not bad at all, although I could see why it was only drunk in small quantities.

After a great dinner at a little Italian restaurant and a poke around the nightlife of Takayama, I made an early nights rest for the next day ahead. In the morning I went to the small markets that line the streets near the merchant houses.

Selling a variety of gifts, local produce and spices, it was a pleasant morning stroll around the town, in spite of the extreme crispness of the morning. After a quick breakfast and a hot coffee, I went back to the station to catch a bus to Hida-no-Sato, a very large open air museum that contained dozens of traditional houses. The grounds itself were very pleasant, having been constructed to be much like the feudal towns of ancient history.

Many of the buildings themselves had actually been dismantled and moved to its current location, however their reconstruction was in keeping with the traditional method. Winding your way through the small reconstructed town, it felt like walking through history, save for the english directions and tourists. The occassional passing car outside of the grounds also was an unwanted distraction from the majesty of the museum.

Entering the homes themselves was also at times a little disorienting, if only because of the smoke. However, the reason for the small fires lit in the homes fireplaces was done to not only recreate the feeling of the traditional homes as they had been, but also for practical reasons. The smoke apparently helped keep the bugs and other critters from getting too settled in the thatch roofs, allowing for the homes to be virtually maintenence free save for the marks of people walking by.

Oh yes, and at the lake I was mauled viciously by a swan.

When I had left Hida-no-Sato and arrived back at the station, I was trying to find a bank to withdraw some more money. Standing on one side of the road near an intersection, I was looking at my map before I noticed two familiar faces on the other side about to cross. Paul and Tanya, who I had met at the hostel in Tokyo, had just arrived in Takayama, and by chance we had seen each other. While we knew we would be in the same place around the same time, the lack of all having working mobile phones or readily available internet access meant that we had no idea if we would actually see each other or not.

Coincidence of fate?

Meh. We walked to their hostel so they could dump their backpacks, then made our way to the merchant houses again for another look around. After a brief lunch, we decided to take the walking course that was in the hills surrounding Takayama. It ended up being an excellent idea, as while the walk itself was fairly long and often uphill, it was wonderful to see some of the country-side.

Once we had reached the bottom again, we decided to meet up a few hours later for dinner at their hostel. A slight change of plans lead to us actually making dinner there, which was an interesting and fun experience in itself. We were also joined by Tom, a fellow traveller who had actually stayed at the same hostel as the three of us, but I had embarassingly not seen. Tom`s description of me was `You always had a beer in your hand`. I refuse to be insulted by that, however it might be a poor reflection of my character.

Either way, after making a great vegetable stir-fry, with optional chicken, we headed out to see what happening on a friday night in Takayama. We firstly found a large restaurant that was virtually empty, who kindly let us in to have some sake.

Later we made our way to a much smaller bar, mostly full of locals, where we had a few more drinks, while discussing the financial crisis, credit history, and how the Pound and the Australian Dollar was, by and large, getting kicked in the balls at the time. Even so, nothing could quiet take away from our positive impression of Takayama and the wonderfully relaxed nature of the place.

We also all came to the conclusion that travelling was still the best thing to do at the moment, while lamenting the fact that we would all have to go home. At some point. Maybe.

The last day in Tokyo, and Nagoya – A City

I was a sober awakening on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2009.

It was my last day in Tokyo, which I had planned to use for a day trip to Nikko, a small town near the city that was home to the lavish shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu had been a predominant figure in the history of Japan, being the most powerful man during the Edo Period of 1603 to 1867, who virtually banned all communication with the outside world during his rule. The shrine in Nikko was reminder of the man and the enormous power he welded.

However, the day was further soured by the fact that it was raining. A lot. While it was fairly light to medium rain, it was consistent, meaning that extended periods outside was a chore that quickly mellowed the day to the point of frustration.

As I procrastinated about whether or not to go anyway, I eventually came to the conclusion that seeing that most of the sights in Nikko were outdoors, even a raincoat and umbrella would not be able to hold back the very damp and depressing day. I ended up being right, because that night the rain only got worse.

Instead, I spent the day lazily around the hostel, getting up to date with emails, the news, and this fair blog. I also took the time to brave the cold and go to Tokyo Station to book all of my train tickets for getting from city to city. While you could catch the trains using unreserved seating, it could mean you would end up in smoking cars, which would be entirely unpleasant for the several multi-hour rides I was going to have to take.

That night, I had a few beers in the lounge area while relaxing with the rest of the travellers.

However, like how most nights in Tokyo had been, a few more drinks later led to a small but loud gathering that ended up in a late night McDonalds run for green tea icecream and fries. Unexciting for sure, but the relatively spontanious event had lifted my mood slightly from before. It was a positive end note to my time in Tokyo.

Which was good, because my next destination was going to be an annoying disappointment.

I had decided to spend one night in Nagoya, a relatively small city just a few hours west of Tokyo. If there was one attraction that had caught my attention about Nagoya, it was that Lonely Planet had commented that there was a Robot Museum in the city. A freaking Robot Museum. Maybe it just sounded better that it would be, but either way it piked my interest.

But first thing was first, and that was catching the Shinkansen, or Japanese Bullet Train, for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised to find the trains to be very comfortable and entirely unlike flying, which I absolutely hate.

Unlike planes, there was plenty of leg room which meant you comfortably put your seat back as far as you would like without worrying about annoying other passengers behind you.

On the 3 hour train ride, we also passed this famous landmark.

I had not made plans to go to Mount Fuji, as for reasons unknown to me I had not been entirely excited to see the place. Yet passing it on the train, you could not help but grab your camera and manipulate your way around the car to get a decent photo. A big issue for those who did visit Fuji-san was that it was entirely possible to arrive on a cloudy day and not be able to witness the mountain in its full glory. Somehow, I had lucked out.

Arriving in Nagoya, I made my way to my accommodation, which was a Ryokan, or traditional Japanese style Inn. Rather than have proper western-style beds, most have tatami mats and are a different experience from usual motel or hotel stays.

While the room was small, it was very comfortable, and was a nice change of pace to have my own room and personal space, a world away from staying in the multi-dorm hostel. The only difference was that this way of staying was much more isolated, and although it was a little lonely, it was still nice to have my own space for a change.

After dumping my bags I headed out into Nagoya to find the enticing Robot Museum. Walking around the city, however, left my a little underwhelmed.

While it was a nice city, with clean streets, a pleasant number of trees, and surprisingly fresh air, it ultimately was just a city. Perhaps my interpretation was a little skewed having just come from the metropolitan wonder that was Tokyo, but Nagoya seemed to lack a certian character that makes better known cities stand out amongst the crowds, so to speak.

In that way, it reminded me a little bit of Perth.

But I put it behind me, as after all, two words. Robot Museum. I made my way to the location marked in Lonely Planet, eager to have something to do in what otherwise appeared to be a rather plain city. When I got to the location, however, I found nothing by large billboards advertising various products, without a proper building in sight, in spite of being in the middle of the city.

Knowing that my map reading skills were certianly far from the best, I wandered around the district a little more, trying to look for some sign of the museum. Getting distracted by coffee and food, I eventually decided to ask someone if they knew where it was. The local informed me that it had shut down only a year ago.

God Dammit.

The news left me feeling frustrated, annoyed, and a tiny bit depressed. More so, it left me feeling a little bitter about Nagoya, in spite of being a generally nice city.

Feeling defeated, I returned to my accommodation, while having a fantastic meal at a vegetarian restaurant in a Chinese themed building. Owned and operated by a Malaysian chef, he made soy offerings of nearly every type of meat that was quite convincing (well, I guess it was, I cannot exactly remember what most meats taste like). I went for my old favourite of Sweet and Sour (soy) Pork, before going home to relax.

The Ryokan offered a sizeable Onsen for guests, which is, in its essence, an extremely hot bath, averaging at about 40 degrees celcius. However, being a communal bath for all guests, I went fairly late to avoid, well, naked men. However the Ryokan was fairly empty, despite being quite large, so I had the whole onsen to myself.

Soaking my worries away, I looked forward to my next destination, Takayama, the safety in knowing that at the very least, there was a much broader range of sights to see there.

Nagoya, on the other hand, would remain as just another city to me.